The Princess of Wales has penned an open letter about the need for more awareness into the early years as she gears up to launch a new campaign with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Catherine’s letter begins with information about the campaign, “highlighting the critical importance the first five years of our lives have on shaping the adults we become. During our very early childhood, our brains develop at an amazing rate – faster than any other time of our lives. Our experiences, relationships, and surroundings at that young age, shape the rest of our lives.”
Writing that not enough study is done on the impact of the early years, Her Royal Highness says that her new awareness campaign has made her “absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that.”
She adds: “It will start by highlighting how we develop during early childhood and why these years matter so much in terms of shaping who we become. I will be joined by a remarkable group of experts spanning science, research, policy making and front-line practice as well as an exciting group of well-known faces from music, sport and television, to show all of us, why it is in all of our interests to care about this.”
Her letter ends with a plea for everyone to take an interest in the early years of development, calling the first five years an “incredible time of life” and urging people to think back to their own childhoods “to ask yourselves what you can do to make the world a more supportive and loving place for our children.”
Catherine’s new awareness campaign comes on the heels of an advisory group meeting earlier this week at Windsor Castle, with eight experts in various fields related to the early years met to discuss ways to promote and support the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
At the meeting, the Princess of Wales said, “I just want to think about and discuss what next, really. How do we keep this conversation going?”
